Santa Clara Pueblo Black Pottery Bear Paw Jar [SOLD]

Angela Baca has long been associated with her ability to produce beautiful red and black jars, some with melon ribs and others with bear paw depressions into the clay. Works in these styles are first coil-formed with a large diameter coil of clay and allowed to dry to a leather-hard state, whereupon they are carved with the distinctive ribs or bear paw depressions. After carving, the pottery is slipped in iron-bearing red slip, intricately stone-polished and then fired in either a smothered, reduction atmosphere to achieve the superb black finish or in an oxidizing atmosphere to achieve the red finish.

Melon jars and bear paw jars are almost the sole output by Angela and they have become associated with her as a potter throughout her career.  She may have occasionally made other shapes, but collectors steer toward melon jars or bear paw jars because they associate those as her hallmark items.

The underside of the jar is signed Angela Baca.

Condition: It is an older piece but is in very good condition.

Recommended Reading:  Fourteen Families in Pueblo Pottery by Rick Dillingham

Provenance: from a family from Santa Fe who is beginning to downsize its very large collection of pottery and paintings by New Mexico Native artists.